I have worked as a commissioner in criminal justice for nearing 10 years, and most recently in a partnerships role.
As I reflect on this moment in time, I find it challenging and at times divisive, but mostly I am optimistic. Why? Because two things can be true at the same time.
First. There is less money. Budgets are being cut and at a time when the criminal justice system in England is in crisis.
Second. The work remains vital. Providers and commissioners alike want to do more and do better for our service users.
I don’t always feel hopeful. But I don’t think you can work in the criminal justice system without believing people can change, that the system can do better to support people as they move away from offending, and that it can do more to help victims and survivors cope and recover.
What it feels like right now
In a word: challenging.
There is more scrutiny than ever on trust and confidence in the system. Political polarisation in society weighs heavily. There are unquestionable capacity pressures on the system. There are evolving technological solutions which we are yet to grasp. And the financial shortfall makes bold innovation and much needed system change feel almost unattainable.
Quick wins and high expectations
At the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, every commissioning cycle begins with three questions. What is life like now? What do we want life to be like in the future? How do we get there? It is often easy to explore a problem — usually one we’ve talked through with colleagues across the system. There are usually some ‘quick wins’, or some bold ideas to test. This is the energising part of commissioning: collaboration, designing, market engagement, and exploring options with people with lived experience. If I am lucky, I get to do something innovative, or even better invest in something that will make a genuine difference to services and individual lives.
But again, two things can be true at the same time. Sometimes our ambitions run ahead of reality. Motivation to make an impact gets the better of us. Too much is asked of prospective providers. Too big a challenge is set in relation to evaluation and impact. I know this impacts on providers, often small third sector providers who are true experts in what they do.
Challenging moments
And then comes the toughest moments: when a grant or contract is not renewed, or decommissioning a service where we know value is added. There are rarely good answers in these challenging situations. It is difficult for commissioners, both practically and emotionally. It is even harder for service providers whose jobs are often dependant on the funding. All this, without mentioning the direct impact on the service user or community who may have relied on the provision.
Embracing the imperfect
Here, again, where would I be without optimism that the system can do better? So, I ask: what do we want life to be like, and how should providers and commissioners work better together to face these challenges? Commissioning in the current climate is not going to be perfect, and the pressures I have set out are not going away anytime soon. But with stronger collaboration, we might find more innovative ways forward. I like to think of commissioning as something we all do together, and not just something done by those who hold the purse strings. I would like to see a dedicated space where providers and commissioners can build consensus: a shared understanding of the challenges, a shared mandate for action, a shared space to test and learn — and more opportunities to present solutions collectively to central government.
That, I believe, is how we turn optimism into action.
